Nitrox: Padi or ssi?

[herman]

Absolutely, yes.

Good diving, Craig

And if they give you any grief, they are horses rears and you need to find a better shop.

 

[pacchill]

One of my LDS will not take a Padi card for EAN. Even-though my Padi instructor was much more in-depth than the other card I have.
NOTE: I did not get another card due to this.

 

[rescue15]

It depends on what you are looking for...If you want to be able to fill your tank with EAN take any class you want. If you have aspirations to advanced Nitrox, take the one you think is more thorough.

Steve

 

[maged_mmh]

I live in a rural area. I'm a PADI certified diver. I would like to take the Nitrox class, but my PADI instructor cannot do it for while. There is a course available immediately via SSI. Does it matter which organization I take Nitrox through?

Exactly what happened with me & I went SSI (although all other cert are PADI).
you just need the card to get the gas & then ride your computer through the dive.

 

[UnderwaterOffice]

I am doing the same thing. I am currently SSI, picking up a specialty from PADI. Am I going to end up with multiple cards (my SSI and a new PADI) or will SSI recognize the class and send me a new card?

Perhaps, this can be answered with another question: Does each course provide a unique card that you carry OR can a single card indicate multiple completed certs?

 

[eponym]

I am currently SSI, picking up a specialty from PADI. Am I going to end up with multiple cards (my SSI and a new PADI) or will SSI recognize the class and send me a new card?

If the PADI course includes issuing a card as part of the course cost, you'll get a PADI Nitrox card. You can use that alone to show that you're a certified open water diver who is also qualified to dive Nitrox. A separate SSI card would be difficult to obtain without taking the SSI course, for reasons of liability. I'm an SSI instructor and I'm not aware of any cross-agency specialty ceritfication programs at the recreational level.

Does each course provide a unique card that you carry OR can a single card indicate multiple completed certs?

If you want to pony up $25 or so, your SSI shop can issue you a specialty card for every specialty course you take. That's not usually done. Usually you wait to get an "Advanced" or "Master" Diver card, when you've fulfilled the training and experience requirements. Those cards (under SSI) list the specialties you've taken.

Nitrox is the one specialty that usually results in issuing a card so if you're not on an Advanced or Master track you get a card that lets you dive Nitrox on that upcoming warm-water five-dive-a-day liveaboard trip.

-Bryan

PS. Tell me, where was the picture on your profile page taken? It looks familiar . . .

 

[UnderwaterOffice]

Thanks Bryan. Very informative. I just wondered if some of you advanced divers had a wallet like Fletch full of 20+ cards etc.

The picture is at Blue Angel - Cozumel and I believe that DM is Ramon.

 

[rstofer]

One of my LDS will not take a Padi card for EAN. Even-though my Padi instructor was much more in-depth than the other card I have.
NOTE: I did not get another card due to this.

There's a shop in the San Diego area that won't accept a PADI Nitrox card? Are they still in business?

Richard